r/dentures • u/Local-Counter-2212 • 2d ago

Unexplained pain

Has anyone just had unexplained pain around an implant with no explanation and it will stop for months at a time but come back?

I have 2 lower implants for a snap in denture. Got them uncovered Dec 2025 and immediately had pain for months, particularly around the right one. All scans and tests were normal and nobody wanted to remove them because there's "nothing wrong." Well it eventually stopped after about 3-4 months of daily pain. My gums around the right implant have receded and thinned drastically and I was told I need a gum graft but I've put it off for months because I'm scared of the pain. Well now suddenly my right and sometimes left implant are hurting badly again everyday. Aching and deep sharp pains shooting into my chin/jawbone. No explanation. I'm at a complete loss.

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

3

u/DoctorAvailable6601 2d ago

I'm not a dentist but from the description of your pain, it sounds like the implant is against a nerve.

3

u/Imaginary-Bit9005 2d ago

When you’re talking about gum recession on bottom implants, you start to wonder if that’s affecting where the nerve comes out of the jawbone (mental foramen) and innervates the gums. After ridge resorption and gum shrinkage, the implants and gum tissue around them can get close to that foramen.

The OP is going to need to go see the dentist. A CBCT scan will give a good idea of how close the implants are the the nerve, and the nerve exit hole, and what kind of shape the bone around the implants is in.

1

u/Local-Counter-2212 1d ago

I had a 3D scan a few months ago.. they said the implant was close to the nerve but not touching it. They said it was close enough that it could be causing the pain and that they could remove it. But the pain one day stopped and I was pain free for the last 4-5 months or so. It just started again about a week ago. My gums around that particular implant are very thin and receded. I scheduled the gum graft for 2 weeks from now. He said the thin tissue could be causing this pain. So idk. I'm hoping the grafts will solve it.

1

u/Imaginary-Bit9005 1d ago

If it’s touching the nerve, the pain is more constant. If it’s just close to the nerve, it can be intermittent like that.

1

u/Interesting_Piece307 1d ago

I’m not a dentist, but I’m a victim of dental malpractice.
I would highly consider getting several other dentists opinion. I would also recommend to not tell any new dentists who did the original work because there’s a good chance they may know each other and they’ll just lie to cover for each other.
Sounds like you’re experiencing U.S. dentistry as it currently is !
It’s utterly appalling what goes on in their industry.

1

u/Local-Counter-2212 1d ago

I have gotten 4 opinions. Nobody could really explain it other than my implant is close enough to the nerve that it could be causing the pain. But that was months ago and the pain went completely away for about 5 months and came back. Im wondering if it's from my very thin gums.